Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Trayvon hoodie: Pastors preach wearing hoodies across churches in America in Martin's honor, In the wake of the non-guilty verdict on George Zimmerman's trial for the death of Trayvon Martin, hoodies have become a symbol of honoring the victim.

On June 14, the day after the verdict was read out, many churches across the nation declared the day 'Hoodie Sunday' in honor of Trayvon Martin.

A pastor of one of the churches, the Community of Hope A.M. E. Church in Temple Hills, Maryland, preached to his congregation wearing a hoodie.

Reverend Tony Lee said, "I don't want this kind of stuff to happen to another one of our children."Lee told the Huffington Post: "I knew I would be wearing my hoodie while preaching and I wrote to all the pastoral staff that hoodies are welcome."

In a case that has been filled with racial tensions after claims that Zimmerman had racially profiled Martin before shooting him, the nation has been divided in support of both Martin and Zimmerman.

Zimmerman was acquitted for the second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin on July 13. The neighborhood watch volunteer shot and killed unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin after an altercation on Feb. 26, 2012.

Meanwhile, the New York Daily News covered their front page on Monday's paper with an image of a faceless body wearing a grey hoodie. This symbolized the clothing that Martin was wearing when he died.

Pastor Raphael Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta also took to the pulpit wearing a hoodie, encouraging his congregation to do the same.

Warnock preached: "We're standing as the church of nonviolence to say that a hoodie is not a weapon. We stand in solidarity with the family of Trayvon Martin. We stand in support of our children who deserve better than to be stigmatized and stereotyped."

Meanwhile, Martin's family members attended services at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Opa-locka, Florida.

Antioch's pastor, Rev. Arthur Jackson III, said: "The verdict reminds us that as a people we lean on the law, trust the law, embrace the law, but it seems the law doesn't embrace us. We will not allow Trayvon's death to be a death in vain." Martin had attended worship services with his mother Sybrina Fulton at the church. "

Meanwhile, a photo of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. wearing a hoodie has gone viral since the verdict was read on Saturday. However, King's family members are not happy with the image. His niece Alveda King told the Andrea Tantaros radio show Tuesday that her uncle would not have worn a hoodie. "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would very likely not wear a hoodie. I can assure you he would not wear sagging pants. I don't even think I've ever even seen his sons with sagging pants."

Protests have been held in major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and New York in honor of Martin.